


Shooting Stars

by spaceprincessem



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Mentions of past abuse, Romance, The team meeting Kory for the first time fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-11-02 10:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20713115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceprincessem/pseuds/spaceprincessem
Summary: All it took was one, tiny moment, for your fate to change. Dick wasn't a big believer in destiny, but when a mysterious girl from space falls into his life, Dick realizes that he may just have to change his mind on that.A different version of the Titans meeting Kory for the first time.





	Shooting Stars

The last of the stars twinkled dimly in the early morning sky as colors of pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges streaked across the bay, the first rays of light falling over the city. It was in these quiet moments Dick found himself really releasing a sigh of relief. It had been a little over a few months since he had set out on his own. He needed to figure out who he was without Bruce—without Batman. So, he packed a bag and travelled across the country, picking up people just like himself, lost souls with special abilities who wanted to do good. They trained together, lived together, and fought crime together. It had been a rough start and they stumbled here and there, but as they grew closer in their friendship and trust with each other the stronger their team became.

There was Garfield, Beast Boy, the green changeling who could turn into any animal. Dick had picked him up from some worn out team called the Doom Patrol, who thought Gar would do better amongst peers his own age. Gar was funny, sweet, but a bit naïve. He was powerful when he wanted to be though; he just needed to learn when to take things more seriously. Rachel, Raven, had been the one to seek him out first. Her dark powers were slightly terrifying, and she was still learning to control them, but Dick could see that she was just as lost as he was. She had kept her distance at first, but slowly, she was warming up to all of them. Victor, Cyborg, was his right hand man, his second. The half mechanical titan proved handy with any electronic and packed a powerful punch in battle. Dick knew he could lean on him if need be. So that was their team. Little, but mighty. Dick was proud of what they had accomplished so far, but knew there was a long way to go.

They had had some close calls in battle and he was slowly realizing they needed to expand if they were going to survive. It wasn’t easy stumbling upon young adults with superpowers, they didn’t just show up at the Tower’s doors ready to fight crime. And Dick was trying his damn hardest not to call in any favors from Bruce. This was his team, his life, and his choice. He needed to be strong for them, be smart for them, but he was beginning to understand the stress and pressure it put him under. He tried not to let it show and he was constantly in the gym blowing off steam. He knew he couldn’t blame himself for not having it all figured out yet. He was still learning, still figuring out how to stand on his own. He just needed to breathe and remember they were doing this to help people.

Dick released a low whistle, the breeze playing with his dark curls. The rest of the team would be awake soon, or at least Rachel would be. She was an early riser, but Dick wasn’t ready for her to feel his stress and doubts just yet. He let the soft rays of the sun warm his skin as he closed his eyes. It only took mere seconds for their fates to change, but more than likely it would all stay the same. Dick sighed, getting to his feet, the quiet moment of the day slipping away with every rise of the sun. He turned to head back into the tower when his eye caught something strange in the distance. It was like a giant fireball or a shooting star streaking across the sky, coming closer. Dick ran to the edge of the tower, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what it was. A meteor, maybe, but it looked too small. He watched as it arched over the water, crashing into the sand on the other side of the bay with a loud bang. Dick only hesitated for a moment before he dashed inside to wake his team.

Several minutes later the four titans were trekking across the grass and sand, looking for what Dick had witness from the top of their tower. He didn’t know why, but Dick felt his heart racing in his chest, like he knew he desperately needed to find whatever this was.

“Are you sure you weren’t just seeing things?” Gar asked sleepily, a yawn eclipsing the rest of his sentence. “You were up before dawn and went to bed well after midnight.”

“I know what I saw.” Dick growled a little more harshly than he meant to.

“Sorry, dude, didn’t mean to offend.” Gar said with a shrug of his shoulders before he transformed into a dog, sniffing the ground carefully.

“Can you describe what you saw again?” Rachel asked patiently. 

“It looked like a meteor, but it seemed so small.” Dick said as he closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the green light streak across the sky. “Like it was a person.”

“If it was a person they would be dead.” Victor said in a low voice, his fingers working over his mechanical arm, scanning for any signs of life.

“Well, something definitely crashed,” Rachel offered, “we all felt and heard it.”

“There!” Dick said as he pointed to a huge crater several feet in front of them. They all took off running, Dick reaching the crest of the crater first. His heart was practically out of his chest when he spotted an unmoving form sprawled in the sand. 

“Holy shit.” Gar said as he transformed back into his human form, his jaw dropped and eyes wide.

Dick didn’t hesitate as he moved down the sandy slopes, his eyes trained on the unconscious girl. There was no way she could still be alive, not the way she fell, but it didn’t stop him for closing the distance between them. Dick was struck by her dark, tanned skin and fiery red hair, wrapped around her. Whatever she had been wearing was torn and dirtied and he could see she was covered in bruises and scars. Wherever she had come from she looked badly hurt. He tried not to think about how gorgeous she was as his hands slipped under her shoulders, her skin hot to the touch.

“Hey, can you hear me?” He asked gently, not wanting to scare her if she was alive. She remained unmoving in his arms and he looked up at the rest of his team in distress. Maybe they had been too late.

“Dick, look!” Rachel said as the other two titans gasped.

Dick looked down, blue eyes meeting emerald orbs. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as her arms wrapped around him, mumbling something in a language he didn’t understand. “We’re here to help you,” he murmured softly, “it’s okay.” Her eyes were slightly glazed over, like she wasn’t fully aware of where she was or what was happening. She was still half mumbling something, her grip on Dick tightening.

“What is she saying?” Gar asked as he laid a hand on Rachel’s shoulder, boosting himself up to get a better look.

“Not any language I’ve ever heard.” Victor responded as he attempted to translate her words through his arm.

Dick didn’t take his eyes off of her as she pulled him closer. She seemed scared and he wished he could understand what she was saying. Before he could ask her any questions she pulled him down so their lips connected and Dick felt his entire body freeze as her warm hands cupped his face. This was the last thing he was expecting. The other titans watched in shock for a moment before the mysterious girl broke the kiss, her fingers still holding onto Dick’s face tenderly.

“Help me, please.” She said in broken voice before passing out in Dick’s arms. 

The team all looked at each other, even more stunned and confused than before. Dick, for his part, scooped the girl up, holding her close. He had no idea who she was, but she needed their help. He felt his cheeks blush as he thought about the way her lips felt against his own. His team watched in silence, waiting to follow him.

“We better get her to the Tower.” Was all Dick could say before taking off in the direction of their home.

“Did she just kiss him?” Gar asked, still stunned by everything that had just transpired. “And then start speaking English?!”

“Whoever she is, she shouldn’t be alive if she was the one that Dick saw falling from the sky.” Victor comment as they followed their fearless leader, all of their eyes on the trail of red hair falling down Dick’s back. “No human could survive that.”

“Maybe she’s not human.” Rachel commented.

The Titans hurried back to their home, immediately taking the girl to the medical bay. Rachel helped change her out of her dirty clothes into a white shirt and a pair of white shorts. They hooked her up to an IV and Victor started running test as Rachel ran her glowing hands over the girl’s still form. Dick ad Gar watched curiously, but silently as the other two Titans did their work. Dick’s eyes kept wandering back to the mystery girl’s face, worried she would awake any moment or her stability would change. 

“I have never seen an anatomy like this before.” Victor said after what seemed like hours. Dick moved to stand next to the cyborg as they looked over a set of charts that outlined her vitals. “I think Rachel is right, this girl can not be human.”

“She seems to have suffered a few broken ribs and some internal bleeding.” Rachel said as her eyes returned to their normal color. “But it appears her body is healing itself at an accelerated rate.”

“Did you get anything else from her?” Dick asked, turning to her. 

Rachel shook her head. “I’m not going to read her mind, unless she gives me permission.”

“Do you think she’s a space alien?” Gar asked excitedly. “That would be wicked cool. I wonder where she came from.”

“And why she landed here.” Victor said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What if she brings some unwanted friends along?”

Dick was silent for a moment as he watched the girl’s chest rise and fall steadily. He learned long ago that looks can be deceiving and sometimes the one with the pretty face could be the bad guy. But, he didn’t feel that from her. He was usually a good judge of character and always relied on his instincts. “She asked us for help, so we’re going to help her.” Dick said with a note of finality in his voice. 

“Well, just because she kissed you…” Victor teased, causing Dick to blush again and the other two Titans to chuckle. 

“That has nothing to do with helping her.” He replied hotly.

“Or the fact that she’s super gorgeous.” Gar stated with a wiggle of his eyebrows, earning him a proper smack from Rachel.

“If Dick wants to help her then we will.” Rachel said. “Besides, I didn’t get any bad or negative feelings about her.”

Dick smiled at Rachel, earning him a nod of her head. He was glad someone had his back about it, although he knew Victor and Gar were merely teasing. If they had really objected to rescuing the mystery girl they would have been more upfront and serious about it. Before anymore could be said movement from the bed caught all of their attention and all eyes turned to the girl as she began to stir. They watched as her eyes blinked open, focusing on the bright lights above her. For a moment she was completely still, but Dick could see her fingers curling around the hospital bed and he released a quick breath as he realized what was about to happen. The girl suddenly, and violently, jumped up from the bed, pulling the wires and IV from her body before stumbling over the side of the metal bars and backing into the corner. She grabbed the nearest object to use as a weapon, the IV cart, and began shouting at them in the same language she was speaking earlier. All of the Titans went into defense mode save for Dick who held his hands up to calm his team down.

“Stand down.” He said as he took a step towards the girl, who looked like a caged animal, her eyes widely searching for a way out. “Hey, it’s okay, we’re here to help.” He said as he placed his hands up in a surrendering motion. “You asked us to help you and that’s all we’ve done.”

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the team relax, which made the girl’s face soften ever so slightly. Dick took another step towards her, holding out his hand to her. He knew she was terrified and it upset him to think she had probably suffered or been treated badly to react this way. 

“Who are you?” She growled, her grip still tight on the IV cart. “Where am I?” Her voice was no longer soft or broken, but low and dangerous. Dick had the feeling should could probably take them on if she really wanted to, but she was badly injured and she knew that.

“My name is Dick,” Dick responded in his same calming voice, “you’re in the medical bay of our home. We’re the Teen Titans.” He said as he gestured to his friends standing behind him. “We’re a team that fights crime and protects our city.”

“My name is Rachel,” Rachel said and the girl’s eyes darted to the dark haired empath, “this is Garfield and Victor. We won’t hurt you.”

“You still did not answer me.” She said as she looked back at Dick. “Where am I?”

Dick looked back at the others, slightly confused. Hadn’t he answered that question? He saw dawning overtake Gar’s face as the green titan perked up. “Earth. You’re on planet Earth.”

“Earth?” She asked, slightly perplexed. “I have never heard of this planet.” She said after a moment. The room became silent as the tension between them built and for a moment Dick thought she might actually make a run for it. He was relieved when she slowly set the IV cart down to the ground and reached out a shaky hand to take Dick’s own, outstretched one. “Koriand’r, my name is Koriand’r.”

She started to collapse, her adrenaline running its course, and he quickly caught her. He helped her back to the bed where she sat down and accepted a glass of water from Rachel. They all watched as she slowly tipped the glass to her lips, sniffing it before taking a small sip. Soon she downed the whole thing, water dripping from the cup and onto her shirt and Rachel quickly refilled it. After she had gone through four glasses of water she finally cleared her throat and looked at everyone.

“Thank you, for helping me.” She said her voice kinder and tired. 

“You’re welcome, Koriand’r.” Dick said her name slowly, wanting to get it right. It was a beautiful name, nothing he had ever heard in his life. She smiled and Dick felt his knees wobble slightly at the sight of it.

“You may call me Kory, if that is easier.” She said her emerald eyes sparkling as they rested on Dick’s face. Dick forced himself to swallow as he returned the smile.

“So, Kory,” Gar chimed in, stealing her attention, “are you an alien?”

Rachel, Victor, and Dick all rolled their eyes at Gar’s lack of tact, but Kory did not seem put off by the question. 

“I am not from your planet if that is what you are asking.” She responded with an amused tone. 

“Whoa!” Gar said with a huge grin on his face. “Where are you from?”

“I am from the planet Tameran.” She said as her eyes wandered over all of their faces. “And I—“ She hesitated, her face dropping into a deep frown. She closed her eyes, her hands running through her thick, fiery hair in frustration. 

“What’s wrong?” Victor asked.

“I—I can’t remember anything else.” She said as she opened her eyes, pain evident in her emerald orbs. “My memory, it’s fuzzy and I don’t know how I got here or anything besides my name and where I’m from.” 

Dick could see tears splashing down her cheeks and he hesitantly reached out and took on of her hands into his own. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll help you in anyway that we can.”

She released a shuddered breath, nodding her, squeezing Dick’s hand like it was a lifeline. “How did I get here? How did you find me?”

“I saw you falling from the sky.” Dick explained. “We found you on the beach where you crashed.”

Kory remained silent, like she was lost in thought before Rachel stepped in. “You were badly hurt when you landed and you might be suffering memory loss from a concussion.” Rachel cleared her throat nervously. “I-I can help recover those memories if you want.”  
“How?” Kory asked wearily.

“I have powers that can dive deep into people’s minds and I can sense what they’re feeling.” Rachel explained. “And right now I can sense that you don’t want that.” She added with a sad smile.

“I’m sorry.” Kory said. “I don’t know you and I would like the chance to see if they returned on their own.” She said as she tried to offer an apologetic smile. She then turned and looked at the rest of the Titans. “Do you all have special abilities?”

“Sure do!” Gar said as he stepped back into a wide space. He then began to change into a series of different animals before returning to his normal self, holding his arms out and grinning madly. “Ta-da!”

“Yes, lettuce leaf can change into animals,” Victor said with a roll of his eyes, “I would call what I have less of special abilities and more of adapted circumstance.” He said as he gestured to his half robot form under his hoodie. 

“So, you’re a team?” Kory asked as she turned to Dick, who still had her hand within his own.

“Uh yeah,” Dick said as he rubbed the back if his neck sheepishly, “we’ve been together a little over six months now.”

“We’re the Teen Titans!” Gar added happily. “Or, that’s what the town calls us anyway, so that’s what we’ve stuck with.”

“And why do you fight crime?” She asked curiously.

“We all have these powers, these abilities, or special training, in my case anyway,” Dick explained, “that we thought we would put it to good use. Help people.”

“You are all very kind.” She said as her eyes dropped down, her lips forming in a half smile. “I have caused you all too much trouble.”

A chorus of “nos” rose up, startling the girl for a brief moment. Dick watched as she twitched in pain, her free hand going to her abdomen, probably to hold onto her broken ribs.

“Feel free to stay as long as you need to.” Rachel offered. “Or at least until you get your memories back.”

“Yeah, we would love to keep you around.” Victor said with a smirk as he sided eyed Dick, causing the leader to pull his hand back into his own lap.

“Are you sure?” She asked worriedly. 

“Of course.” Dick said reassuringly. “We have plenty of room in the Tower and besides, we don’t know if you’re safe from whatever you were running from.”

Kory was silent for a moment before giving them a small nod. “Thank you, very much.” She offered them a warm smile and Dick felt like he was looking into the sun. “Would it be okay if I rinsed off?” She asked shyly.

“Of course,” Rachel said, “I probably have some spare clothes you can borrow as well, as long as you don’t mind black.” She added, her cheeks turning a slight pink. 

“I am sure it is better than what I was wearing.” Kory responded as she eyed the torn and dirtied rags sitting on the counter just behind them.

“Wait!” Gar said excitedly. “I have the perfect shirt for you to wear!”

Kory thanked them as Rachel showed her to the bathroom where she could shower. She started the hot water and let steam fill the bathroom as she peeled off the shirt and shorts they had dressed her in while she was unconscious. Kory looked down at her naked body, eyes roaming over scars, scratches, and bruises that covered her completely. She ran her fingers over each one of them, flinching at the more painful ones. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, eyes narrowed in pain.

“Remember Koriand’r.” She muttered to her reflection. “Remember who you are.”

She closed her eyes and flashes of whips and the sound of harsh shouting filled her mind. There was a deafening roar of a crowd and pained screams, but her head started pounding and she couldn’t remember anymore. She opened her eyes, placing shaking fingers against the glass.

“Who am I?” She asked. She finally looked away and carefully stepped into the shower, the hot, scolding water a blessing over her sore body. Whatever had happened to her was not good and she had this sinking feeling she wasn’t going to like what was waiting for her. She braced herself against the shower walls suddenly overcome with a whirlwind of emotion. What if she couldn’t go home? There had to be a reason she had left Tameran in the first place, what if she would never see her family again? But who was her family? She couldn’t even remember their faces. It was a blur of red and black hair. All she could recall where two names. Hers and her planets. She tried not to break down in the middle of this strange place. She had to be strong, but she felt like she had been holding her emotions and feelings back for a long while and soon they were spilling from her like a waterfall from a flooding river. 

-

“You’ll keep an eye on all satellite and space imaging?” Dick asked as Victor typed away on one of the many computers in their monitoring room. A few of the screens were tracking movement from some of their space stations, while others flashed through the city, looking for trouble. He was leaning against the keyboard, eyes roaming over the space cameras.

“Already programmed alert notifications in case anything strange or unusual pass into our atmosphere.” Victor said with a smirk, way ahead of his leader. “If her friends decide to show up, we’ll know about it.”

“Good.” Dick said as he patted his friend’s shoulder. Both boys got up and headed into the main room where Rachel and Gar were preparing breakfast. Dick was a little taken aback by the amount of food laid out on the counter. “Hungry?” He asked as Gar ran between the waffle maker and a pan of what was probably tofu bacon.

“Well, we don’t know what Kory likes to eat.” Gar said breathlessly. “So I figured I would make all of the breakfast favorites!”

Rachel poured herself cup of coffee, watching Gar transform into an octopus to juggle three different pans at once. “That’s actually really thoughtful of you, Gar.” She said as she poured cups for Victor and Dick. 

Gar sat the pans down and transformed back into his normal self, grinning madly from the complement, causing Raven to blush for the second time today. “Do you think she would want to join the Titans?” Gar asked a little more seriously as he turned to face Dick.

Dick choked on his coffee, quickly setting his mug down. “Why would she want to do that?”

“Come on, Dick, Victor said it himself,” Gar explained with a roll of his eyes, “no one could survive a fall like that. I bet she has some cool alien super powers.”

Rachel’s soft smile for Gar quickly faded as she scolded the green hero. “You’ve seen too many movies. Besides, she probably wants to go home.”

Dick nodded his head in agreement, although that did not stop him from feeling a little sad. He had no idea who this girl was or what she was capable of, but he felt a weird connection with her, like they were supposed to meet. He knew that if she did leave it would take a while to get her out of his head. A small clear of the throat brought all of the Titan’s attention to Kory, who was standing in the doorway, now dressed in regular clothes. Rachel had given her a pair of dark, skinny jeans, black boots, and a red flannel to tie around her waist. Gar had given her a black shirt with the infamous picture of the “I Want to Believe” poster from the X-Files on it. She was also wearing one of Rachel’s black, leather jackets. 

“Is this shirt meant to be an alien joke?” She asked catching everyone’s half amused, half exasperated faces, while Gar just continued to grin from his cleverness. She pointed to the space ship, cocking her eyebrow questioningly. 

“My dear Kory,” Gar said as he walked over, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, bringing her into the kitchen, “if you stick around long enough I have to introduce you to the brilliance of the television show The X-Files.”

“What is a television show?” She asked causing Gar to grip his chest dramatically. 

“Kory, you kill me.” He said as he pretended to faint onto the kitchen floor.

“Ignore him.” Rachel said as she kicked him playfully, causing him to giggle from the floor. “You must be hungry.” She said motioning to all of the food on the counter. 

“Help yourself.” Dick said as Kory looked hesitantly at the food. “Gar’s not as terrible of a cook as he might lead you to believe.”

She slowly sat down between Victor and Dick, her eyes till roaming over the food questioningly while the rest of the Titans started to fill their plates. She waited until they had all stated eating before she reached out and grabbed a waffle. Gar reached over and poured some maple syrup on top.

“Trust me, you’ll love this.” He said with a genuine smile.

Dick realized she had been watching everyone else eat to make sure the food wasn’t poisoned or would hurt her in any way. He didn’t blame her for being cautious. He would have done the same thing if he had woken up in a strange place, with strange people, and no memory of where he had been or who he was. He just hoped they could slowly earn her trust and realize they were only trying to help her. She took a small bite of the syrup soaked waffle, her lips splitting into a soft smile as she released a purr of contentment.

“This is delicious.” She said, beaming at Gar. “What do you call it?” She asked as she took another bite.

“A waffle.” Gar said, happy she was enjoying his cooking.

“If you think that’s good wait until your try the pizza.” Victor said as he elbowed her gently. 

“So,” Rachel said as she leaned against the counter, her violet eyes on Kory, “did you have any revelations in the shower?”

Kory lowered her fork to her plate, her shoulders sagging a bit as she ran a hand through her hair. “I keep getting bits and pieces of something.” She said. “But I can’t put them together. It’s like looking through a thick, foggy glass. The sound is muffled and the vision is blurry.”

Dick placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and her eyes turned up to him for a moment. He could feel her piercing gaze, and he wondered if she could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest or read his racing thoughts. 

“I have this terrible feeling that I won’t be able to go back home.” She finished as she looked away from him and towards the others. 

“Why do you say that?” Victor asked.

Kory just shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t remember much, but I know my instincts and I trust my gut and something tells me I will not be able to return.”

Dick could feel his heart breaking for her, and he knew the team felt the same, as it was evident in all of their facial expressions. Before he could offer words of comfort the Tower alarm went off. Dick jumped top his feet, but he felt someone grab his hand and he looked over to see Kory’s chest heaving, her fingers intertwined in his and he gave her hand a small squeeze, causing her to turn and look at him. He knew they were thinking the same thing. What if they were coming for her? They all raced to the control room and Dick felt himself release a sigh of relief when he realized the blinking monitor was for something in the city and not coming from space. Victor sat down at the computer, quickly pulling up the blinking screen on the main monitor.

“What is that thing?” Gar asked as he pointed to the monster now terrorizing the city. The creature was huge, at least eight feet tall, with dark grey skin, large muscles and white, bone like spikes poking from his arms up to his shoulders.

“Is it just me or do the bad guys keep getting weirder?” Rachel asked as she leaned against the doorway coolly, her arms over her chest.

“Titans, let’s move.” Dick said, immediately switching into leader mode. They all started to head out, when Dick realized Kory had been watching them all intently from the back of the room. He quickly turned to her, offering her a smile. “We’ll be right back, just stay here and keep safe.”

Kory nodded her head and watched the boy disappear. She moved out of the control room and wandered down the hallways of the tower. She could see each other their names on the metal doors, and wonder what their rooms looked liked. She decided against her curiosity, not wanting to create mistrust with the people who were helping her. She found herself back in the kitchen where their food remained half finished. Despite her situation she found comfort in the Titan’s company. They were all very nice to her, but she especially liked the one named Dick. She had never seen such blue eyes before and he was very handsome. She wished she could have gone with them to watch their fight. She was curious to see what they were made of. She felt her stomach growl and she returned to her food. She hadn’t realized how famished she was until she had tasted the waffle, but she knew better than to hungrily stuff food in her mouth.

“You haven’t eaten for days.” She said aloud. “You have to be careful or you’ll be sick.” She didn’t know how she knew these words to be true, but the reality of her situation was starting to sink in. What if someone would be looking for her? Was she a prisoner, a prize? Had she barely escaped with her life? The small parts of her memory leaned toward something like that and now she was terrified to know exactly what had happened to her. She shook her head. She had already had her break down in the shower. She couldn’t allow herself to do that again in case she needed to run. The last thing she wanted to do was put these people who had been so kind to her in danger for something she may have done in her lost past. 

What if, you are the danger?

The thought crossed her mind and she immediately dismissed it. She wouldn’t hurt the Titans. She absentmindedly walked around the quiet tower, not being able to sit still in the silence. She found herself back in the control room and her eyes fell on the monitors playing across the screen. She found one that showed the Titans in the middle of a heated battle with the creature they had spotted earlier. She sat down in the chair, pulling up the picture on the main monitor to watch the fight. They worked well as a team, a little rusty and some miscommunications here and there, but she was impressed with how well they kept pace with the creature. She would be lying if she said her heart didn’t skip a beat when Dick flipped on screen, now dressed in some sort of costume with a small R on his left breast, complete with a black mask. She watched as he gracefully moved with the creature, dodging and diving out of the way in the nick of time. She realized he never demonstrated any special abilities and yet he was the one leading the team. The creature was not deterred by the fight and he looked to be smiling when he swung a large pole into Gar, sending him flying into Rachel, knocking both Titans out. Kory felt worry fill her stomach like a lead brick. The Titans were losing and this creature was not showing any mercy. 

-

Robin wiped fresh blood from his lip as his body screamed in protest at all of his movements. There was a slight ringing in his ear and he was faintly aware that his head was spinning slightly. This creature, or Doomsday as he had called himself, was one of their toughest opponents yet. He was strong. Super stronger and he didn’t’ show signs of slowing down even after taking some hard hits by the Titans. He tried to push himself into a stand position, but heavy hands came down, hard, on his back, blasting him into the pavement of the parking garage they were fighting on. Dick groaned as he rolled over moving out of the way of the next blow. 

“I am disappointed in you Titans.” Doomsday said with a heavy sigh as he raised his hands to strike again. He was only stopped by a flying car that knocked him on his feet. He growled angrily as he spotted the dark haired girl with glowing black eyes floating a few feet away from him. He quickly picked up the car and flung it at her.

Raven gasped and was quickly knocked out of the way by Beast Boy, both of them landing on the ground. Cyborg ran over to Robin, helping his leader to his feet. “This guy is tough. We may need to regroup and think of a plan to take him out.”

“Good idea.” Robin said as he spat blood onto the cement. Before they could move Doomsday had picked up Beast Boy and Raven, throwing them into the two male titans, causing all of them to fall to the ground. 

“I thought you would put up a better fight.” Doomsday said as he walked over to them, shaking his head disappointedly. “Some mighty heroes you are.”

“We’re not finished with you.” Cyborg said as she stood up, aiming his sonic canon in Doomsday’s direction. 

Doomsday laughed, slamming his fist on the ground, knocking all for Titans back into a stack of destroyed cars. They all fell to the ground, groaning as he closed in on them. “Taking over this city is too easy. Destroying you would be beneath me.” He said with a smirk as he reached back and grabbed a large sword from its sheath. “But what the hell, it’ll be fun.”

Robin looked up at the creature, trying to think of a way to get the team out of this. His mind was working too slowly and his body wasn’t responding the way he needed it to. They couldn’t lose now, not yet. He thought of Kory sitting all alone in the Tower. If they died then she would be left on her own, think they had abandoned her. 

“Who will be first?” Doomsday asked as he pointed his sword at Robin’s throat. “How about the fearless leader?” He sneered. “Any final words?”

Robin mustered up all of his courage, his hands gripping his bow staff tightly. Maybe he could block the blow and give the others time to run. He spat blood in the creature’s direction, which only cause him to laugh.

“At least you Earthlings have spirit.” He said as he raised his sword high. 

Robin prepared for the blow, pulling out his bow staff, but before the sword could connect with it a huge, green, bolt of energy consumed Doomsday, throwing him into the nearest wall. All of the Titans looked around and Dick felt his jaw drop when he saw Kory, eyes and hands glowing a bright green, a war like snarl on her face as she stormed over the concrete path.

“I don’t think so.” She seethed as Doomsday pulled himself from the concrete rubble she had put him in. 

“Well, well, well,” He said as he wiped dust from his shoulder, surprised to see black blood oozing from a large scratch in his head, “looks like we finally have ourselves an even match.”

Kory charged forward, raining down an onslaught of punches and kicks, knowing Doomsday back, while the Titans watched with intense concentration. Doomsday’s smile quickly turned into a scowl as he moved further back across the parking garage. Her movements were quick and deadly. Doomsday finally reached around and grabbed her waist, throwing her across the lot and into the opposite stonewall. She crashed into the concrete, before falling forward, into the shield of a car.

“Kory!” Dick yelled, his heart in his throat as the other Titans called out her name.

Doomsday’s laugh was quickly cut off when Kory got to her feet, her eyes still glowing. She cracked her neck licking her teeth wildly. “Is that all you’ve got?” She asked as motioned for him to bring it on. Doomsday screamed as he charged forward. Kory casually kicked up the car she had crashed into with one foot, before roundhouse kicking to straight at the creature.

“Holy shit.” Gar said as they watched her charge forward again. “I told you she had super powers!”

They all watched in awe as she sparred with Doomsday, her punches landing hard than one would think they should. Robin could tell Doomsday was becoming sloppy and frustrated in his movements, but Kory did not let up. 

“ENOUGH!” He yelled grabbing her by the waist again. He slammed her on the ground a few times before throwing her over the side of the parking garage. All of the Titans ran forward, the screams blocked out by Doomsday’s laugh as he turned to face them again. Robin had to find a way to get to her before she fell. They couldn’t lose her, not yet. “A small bump on the road to your inevitable destruction.” Doomsday said as he picked up his fallen sword. “I must admit, you almost had me with that girl, but all eventually bow down to Doomsday.”

“I bow to no one.” Kory growled.

The Titans couldn’t believe their eyes as Kory floated just behind Doomsday, her eyes and hands glowing again. Doomsday turned, his eyes wide with terror. “It can’t be.”

Kory released a warrior cry before she rained an onslaught of the green star bolts down on him. The Titans moved out of the way as her fury took over. They could barely see through the green fire as Kory flew in, punching Doomsday, who crashed into the wall, before falling unconscious to the ground. Kory landed just a few feet from him, her eyes returning to their normal color. The Titans ran over and Dick was the first to reach out to her.

“Are you okay?” He asked hesitantly, both terrified and slightly in awe of her power. He had never seen anyone fight like she did. 

“Is he—“ Victor began to ask as he leaned down to check Doomsday’s vitals.

“I did not kill him if that is what you are asking.” Kory said, her voice still carrying a dangerous edge. “I do not know the customs of your planet, so he is merely unconscious.” 

“Did you know you had these powers?” Rachel asked as Kory refused to look at them, her eyes till trained on the unconscious bad guy.

Kory closed her eyes sighing heavily. “Yes.” She said as she turned to look at them. She felt guilt well up inside of her from keeping this secret from them when they had been so kind and open with her. “I was afraid if you knew what I was then you would turn me away.” 

“Kory,” Dick said as he reached out for her, “you didn’t have to lie to us. We understand more than most that everyone is different.”

“Plus,” Gar said excitedly, “You totally kicked that guys ass! You should definitely be a Titan!”

Kory laughed slightly. “I saw that you were in trouble and I couldn’t let anything bad happen to you.” She said, her eyes on Dick. “Any of you.”

“Well, the girl has my vote.” Victor said as he stood up with a grin. “We could use power like that on the team.”

“I think I better know who I am before you decide to let me join your team.” Kory said he face falling a bit. She turned to Rachel, making a decision. “Can you still help me get my memories back?” She asked.

“Of course.”

-

The Titans all sat in the living room as Victor worked on some sort of helmet with wires that sat a top Rachel’s head. “This will allow all of your visions and memories play on the screen.” Victor explained as Kory watched silently. 

Kory felt her stomach twist in knots, starting to rethink her decision. She knew it was more than just the fall to Earth that was keeping her from remembering. Some part of her brain was protecting her, making her forget. What if she awoke these memories and she didn’t like what she saw? What if she really was the monster? She had taken down Doomsday so easily. Even though the Titans reassured her that her power was incredible she could see the fear in their eyes when she had attacked. She felt a comforting hand on her arm and looked up to see Dick smiling at her. He was dressed in normal clothes again. A simple black shirt and jeans. She had liked the uniform though and he seemed to be a completely different person when he wasn’t wearing the mask.

“Hey, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” He said as he sat down next to her, giving her a warm smile.

She liked his smile. “I need to know who I am and what I was running from.” She said after a moment. I have to keep you and the others safe. She thought. Her problems were her own and she couldn’t mix them up in anything that could destroy them. She wouldn’t let that happen.

“Are you ready?” Rachel asked.

Kory nodded and laid down on floor just in front of Rachel. Dick moved so that he was next to her, taking her hand into his own. “We’ll be right here if you need us.” He said. She felt someone else take her other hand and she looked over to see Gar smiling encouragingly. 

“Okay.” Kory said as she closed her eyes. She could feel Rachel’s cool hands moving on each side of her head and for a moment nothing happened and Kory wondered if it would work at all. She gasped as she felt herself plunge into the darkness, like she had been dunked into a river of ice-cold water.

Dick watched as Kory’s back arched off the floor and he re-gripped her hand, his eyes turning to the screen as flashes of images moved across too rapidly for anyone to decipher what was being played.

“Relax, Kory.” Rachel said in a soothing voice, her fingers spreading out through the red hair. “Take me to the beginning.”

The boys watched as the flashes on the screen stopped on a luscious landscape, filled with strange and colorful plants. There was a bright sun falling over the crystal blue waterfall pouring over a giant cliff, with a large city rising in the distance.

“Tameran.” Kory breathed, her eyes still closed.

They moved through the landscape, working their way through the streets filled with people laughing, fighting, singing, dancing, selling, and going about their day before the image stopped and they were outside the gates of a giant palace. The doors opened and they were through a long hallway, quickly moving through to a throne room. There was a man sitting on the throne, with the same fiery hair and glowing green eyes. There was a woman sitting next to him with dark hair and dark eyes. Three children dressed in royal garb stood to the left of their mother, two girls and one boy.

“Father…mother…Komand’r…Ryand’r…” Kory mumbled.

“Is that Kory?” Victor asked as he pointed to the middle child.

“Dude, I think she’s a space princess!” Gar said excitedly as the images moved to show everyday life in Tameran.

Dick could hardly believe his eyes as he watched the younger Koriand’r move gracefully through the palace, laughing at something her brother did. She couldn’t be much older than ten. Suddenly, the images turned dark and the luscious planet was on fire as war broke out. An older Koriand’r filled the screen, her face distraught as she argued with her father, her sister sneering in the background. 

“You must go with them, Koriand’r.” Rachel’s voice said as it matched with the words of her father.

“Father, please.” Kory begged as tears slipped from her eyes. Dick held onto to Kory, his heart dropping into his stomach. 

“It is the only way to have peace.” Rachel’s voice rang out.

“No!” Kory screamed as two lizard like creatures moved forward to take her away. 

“If the Princess ever returns consider the treaty broken.” One of them hissed as they placed metal cuffs around her arms. 

The scene melted away and they watched as Kory was brought to a strange world. They watched as she was whipped, beaten, made to do slave labor, and forced to fight in an arena against opponents that were much bigger and stronger than she was. 

“Oh no.” Gar said as he looked away from the screen.

Dick and Victor continued to watch, not being able to turn away. Dick wanted to see every single face that hurt Kory, so he knew exactly who to punish for what they had done to her. Kory stumbled out into a large room full of different creatures dressed in a scathingly thin purple dress that showed way too much skin, her hands chained as one of the lizard people hissed for everyone’s attention.

“Princess Koriand’r of Tameran, for the highest bidder of course.” Rachel said, but nothing could convey the greedy smile on his face as he spoke those words. 

Dick felt like he was going to be sick. She couldn’t be any older than he was and yet they were parading her around to the highest bidder, like she was merely an object to be bought. She was suddenly in a dark room and Dick held his breath, not knowing if he could watch anymore, but she had lived it and now she was reliving it again. He had to be strong for her.

“The power is failing!” Rachel’s voice moved over the hissing creatures. “If it shuts out even for a second—“

“Then it better not shut out.”

They watched as the ship went completely dark. Kory’s eyes began to glow green. It was all she needed. They watched as she tore her binds from her hands, destroying the door to her cell. She easily took out the creatures and started down the empty corridors of the ship before she was forced to take an emergency exit door and fall into the deep void of space. The creatures fired at her, and they hit her side, but she turned her fury on them, flying at the ship full speed, destroying it. They watched as she flew through space, holding her side. She tried to keep her eyes open, but she was stating to falter. They could see Earth in view and they watched as she fell into its gravity, passing out as she fell into the atmosphere. The screen went black and when Kory opened her eyes the Titans could see their own faces looking down at her.

Kory suddenly sat up, displacing everyone around her. Her chest was heaving as the memories flooded her mind. She had been a slave. A prisoner for years under the hand of the Citadel. She had been right, she couldn’t go back home. Not now and not ever. Feelings of grief, shock, and fear overwhelmed her and she quickly stood up.

“I have to go.” She decided immediately. The Citadel wouldn’t let her go so easily. They may not be able to find her now, but it was only a matter of time. She needed to keep moving, never resting, she couldn’t go back there. She wouldn’t go back there.

“Kory, wait!” Dick said as he reached out for her, pulling her back. “Stay with us. We can protect you.” He said. He wasn’t letting her go. Not after everything she had been through.

“No.” Kory said as tears filled her eyes. “I can’t risk your lives. The Citadel,” she said with a shaky breath, “you don’t understand how cruel they can be. I’m not worth that kind of trouble.”

“Yes, you are.” Dick said as he held on to her.

“We’ve got your back, girl.” Victor said with a nod of his head. “No one is going to hurt you like that.”

“Those space bad guys have to go through us if they want to get to you.” Gar said seriously. 

“Let us help you.” Rachel said in a shaky voice. She was trying to process everything she saw and felt from Kory and it took its toll. She could feel the girls’ fear and the pain she had experienced. Rachel knew what it was like to feel those things and she was determined to help everyone that she could.

“Please,” Dick said as Kory’s eyes met his, “you don’t have to do this alone.”

Kory looked at all of their faces. Somewhere she felt like this could be her home and these people could be her family, but the fear of the unknown, the fear of the Citadel coming for her drove those thoughts away. How could she risk their lives for her own? Kory looked at Dick again and his tender expression made her heart melt. She finally gave in, nodding her head. “Okay.” She managed to say. All of the Titans moved forward, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Welcome to the team.” Dick said. He realized they were very close together, sandwiched in the group hug.

-

Dick laid in bed, his thoughts running a mile a minute. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kory and everything she had been through. He cursed the flutter of butterflies in his stomach. He was a hero and they didn’t have time for things like that, not to mention she was a power warrior space Princess with whom he stood no chance. It didn’t stop him from thinking about the way her smile lit up her face or how fiercely strong she was when she moved in a fight. She had been with them for a month and every day Dick woke up he was afraid she would be gone, but she was still there, every morning in one of his oversized shirts and a pair of Rachel’s shorts. He hated how much he liked her wearing his shirt. Gar and Rachel had finally taken her shopping to get her own clothes and he and Victor worked on designing a suit that worked with all of her abilities. Despite all of the hardships of her past she was kind and gentle with everyone, save for their enemies. 

Dick felt like his words stumbled out of his mouth when he talked with her and he always found himself wanting to be around her, like he was caught in her gravitation pull. He was surprised that she never got tired of his company. She seemed to fit in well with everyone on the team, like she was exactly what they needed to glue them all together. Dick shook his head and threw the covers off of his bed, deciding he was too restless and needed some fresh air. He was pleasantly surprised when he found Kory on the roof of the tower, sitting on its edge and looking up at the stars.

“Hey.” He said nervously as he sat next to her. 

“Hi.” She responded smiling at him. “Couldn’t sleep?” She asked as she leaned towards him, her hair spilling over her shoulder.

“Something like that.” He responded.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before an odd thought popped into Dick’s head. “Can I ask you a question?” 

Kory quipped an eyebrow. “Of course.”

“When we first found you, you uh,” Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “kind of kissed me and then started speaking English.”

Kory laughed. “My people can learn any language through lip contact.” She said with an amused expression on her face. 

“Oh.” Dick said, not sure if he should be relieved or disappointed by her statement. 

“But I know it also is a sign of affection.” Kory continued on and suddenly she was closer to Dick and he felt his whole body freeze. “Especially for two people who like each other.”

Dick looked into her emerald eyes, which bore into his own. He had learn she was not one to hide her feelings, while he had always struggled with how to properly deal with his. He had never met anyone quite like Kory and the mere fact that she would pick him out of billions of people on the planet both terrified and excited him. He slowly moved his hand so that he was cupping her cheek. Despite the act being a transfer of knowledge, a transfer of language, he couldn’t help, but remember the feel of her lips against his. Only in the deepest corners of his mind did he crave that feeling again as he got to know her better. 

“There has to be a million better choices than me.” Dick said, letting his insecurities slip through.

“There’s no one quite like you.” Kory whispered, but she still hovered in no man’s land, waiting for him.

Dick closed his eyes as he leaned forward, his lips capturing hers in a sweet, nervous kiss. For Dick, it felt like coming home, as he pulled her closer, taking all of her in.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, idk, I had this in my head for a long time and I wanted to write it. Not sure how I feel about the finished product, but I've been dying to write some TT stuff for a while and dickkory is my fave so. Here you go! Let me know your thoughts! Thanks!


End file.
